THE PATHFINDER
#280.16
Mystery of the Angels
(Part 2)
Who Were The Three Men That Visited Abraham?
Jacob and Joshua
Fallen Angels
Angels on Assignment
By
Charles W. Weller
Author of:
And
Elwin R. Roach
Continuing in memory of our dear friend, Charles (Chuck) Weller (1948 - 2001), and our joint effort of unfolding some of the Mysteries of the Angels:
Genesis 18:2
tells us: "And when he (Abraham) lifted up his eyes and looked, behold three MEN were standing opposite him." (NAS). It says three MEN. In Genesis 18:22 it reads: "Then the MEN turned away from there and went toward Sodom..." (NAS).There is no doubt, then, that in Genesis 18:2 —MEN means MEN. Moreover, the Hebrew word for men, enowsh, is translated over 520 times as men or mankind, and it comes from the root Hebrew anosh which Thayer's defines as something incurable, desperate/desperately wicked, woeful. So these three that visited Abraham were not heavenly beings appearing as men, but in reality, they were men. For if they were heavenly creations, it is not likely that they would have eaten fine meal cakes and the calf slain and cooked on their behalf. Also, a different word would have been used, one that does not have such a potentially corrupt connotation. God obviously sent men to Lot. They were men that had been changed from their vile nature and were now identified with the nature of God while being able to minister to Abraham, a natural man.
Yet, in Genesis 19:1 it states something radically different. The NAS reads: "Now the two ANGELS came to Sodom...." What is the difference here? In chapter 18 they are called men and here they are called angels. A contradiction? We think not.
Consider. Abraham could recognize an angel as a man. Daniel could recognize an angel (Gabriel) as a man. Paul was recognized as an angel, even though a man. A spiritual person sees past the flesh and sees the messenger. That is why Abraham was a man of faith. That is why Daniel could see God in Gabriel, a man.
The residents of Sodom were fleshly, carnal. They could not see the men as angels like Lot saw them. They saw them in their natural state, as men. In Genesis 19:5 the citizens call Lot out and state that they want the two men for sexual relations. Their carnal minds could not see the spiritual vessels.
Jacob and Joshua
We have heard it ministered from the pulpit that in Genesis 32:24-30 that Jacob wrestled with an angel. But verse 24 clearly states, "Then Jacob was let alone, and a MAN wrestled with him until daybreak" (Upper case for emphasis). Further on in the chapter, Jacob names the place Peniel, because he has seen God face to face and his life was spared (Genesis 32:30). Was the man Jacob saw God? Was it a spirit that confronted him? The Hebrew word here in English is translated from "ish," that is, "man." It is derived from the same root as we saw previously in Genesis 18:12. There can be no doubt that a man wrestled with Jacob, but the result was that Jacob came to a greater revelation and understanding of God. It is the same as what the Lord spoke to Polly Houghton: "Look steadfastly into the face of your brothers and you will behold Me face to face." By doing so, although we will see the Lord face to face, it is upon men and women that we look.
Joshua at Gilgal had a confrontation with the captain of the LORD of Hosts (Joshua 5:13-17) . It clearly states that it was a man. When Joshua falls down before him he calls him lord, meaning master, not God. But I thought the captain of the LORD of Hosts would be an angel? So it is normally taught. But the hosts of the Lord are those that do battle for Him. Some places the word valiant is used.
It is interesting to note that the carnal mind is a god to itself. The sin of Adam was that of religion. He was already in union with God, but did not know it, or thought he would be greater going it alone as God. Whatever it was, he separated himself from God in order to make himself, Adam, a law unto himself, a god, if you will. A religious mind, trying to be holy, will set up rules, traditions, desires, etc. that will forever block it from truly becoming godly. If it truly became godly, it would have to forego its role as god. Therefore, its religion is designed to make sure it appears holy but also makes the person fail in his quest for holiness so that the religious mind can remain as god of self.
The men of Sodom, gods unto themselves, could not recognize God. Therefore, they sought to abuse God for their own pleasure. But a true saint, one crucified with Christ, walking in the union can see a man as God and recognize the nature of God in the same way Abraham did. "Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is of God; He has seen the Father" John 6:46. And "No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us" 1 John 4:12 . No man, no one of the adamic nature can see God; but they will hide from Him. The new creation man in Christ Jesus, however, can see and know God in His saints.
The incorruptible seed placed into each vessel through Jesus Christ is the seed of Christ Himself, making each one a member of His family. He bids them to come boldly into the presence of God, to the throne of grace. They who were unworthy are now awakened to life and able to see God face to face, and as they behold Him they are changed into His image, from glory to glory. Our face shall shine even as did the face of Moses. Moreover, as they walk in Him, they too will be able to appear as angels.
If you think this is not so, consider Revelation 21:9-10. The NAS states: "...Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in the Spirit.. .and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem...." (Verse 2 says New Jerusalem). What we see is that the bride of Christ, the church if you will, is Jerusalem, New Jerusalem. This is not some literal, 1twelve thousand furlong four-square city coming down out of the sky to be set upon the earth as some teach. The reason we share this is so that we can look at the Revelation 21:17 which states: "And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel." Herein, the measure of an angel is that of a man, indicating that they are one and the same.
So, the city of God, the New Jerusalem is corporately and individually the measure of a man. The book of Revelation interprets itself for us. What is important to note is that the spiritual city, which is you, is in you. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5 that there is a house within our house, a spiritual house. This is the angelic house.
The Lord was called the son of Man. Few saw Him as the Savior unless God revealed it to them. Beloved friends, since He is our pattern would it not be so with us? Are we not to be conformed to His image? His flesh revealed He was a man and hid from the world that He was the son of God. Even so it is the same with us. Our outer body hides the spiritual man within, the inChristed person, the new creation man in Jesus Christ.
Consequently, it is difficult for some to see men as angels. It may even be more difficult for saints to see brethren as angels, for most saints see with carnal eyes. They have beams in them! They look on the outer man not knowing how to communicate with the inner man, the inChristed one of their brethren. Most saints still identify themselves with their fallen nature and do not know their own inner nature which is the new creation man. Therefore, they cannot identify with the inner nature of someone else since they cannot see themselves in Christ.
Billy Graham wrote a book on the subject of angels years ago called, Angels: God's Secret Agents, and then reissued it which renewed people’s interest considerably, especially that of many Christians. The late Howard Rand wrote concerning that book in the Evangelical Newsletter for March 12,1976. In one sweeping statement, Billy Graham's book states that angels are "among the invisible things made by God" and he cites Colossians 1:16 to corroborate his assertion: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." He goes on to conclude: "The Bible frequently makes it clear that angels are non-material." He goes on and says that "Hebrews 1:14 calls them ministering spirits. Intrinsically, they do not possess physical bodies, although they may take on physical bodies when God appoints them to special tasks."
The word angel in Hebrew is "mal'ak" which is also translated as a messenger. In the Hebrew we also find the angels were called "bene' elohim" or sons of God. The corresponding Greek word in the New Testament "aggelos" is translated as angel or messenger. With this, let us notice how one of the seven angels in the book of Revelation is described.
"And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God." Revelation 22:8-9. This ANGEL, as well as the one in Revelation 19:10, are both MEN!
MICHAEL, as we mentioned earlier, does have a spiritual significance; that is, since this book of Revelation is one of signs or symbols that points to and describes certain things, so Michael also symbolizes something. Michael is a Hebrew name which means "ONE LIKE GOD." Now, for another question. WHO in all the universe is LIKE GOD?...I can think of none, except JESUS CHRIST who is THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON! (Hebrews 1:3). And also, WHO is the CHIEF MESSENGER of God to all those who are called of God to be messengers? We again say, it is JESUS CHRIST! Moses was the chief messenger of the Law that brought judgment and death, while JESUS, MICHAEL the archangel, is the CHIEF MESSENGER who brought life.
The word archangel has a very simple meaning, and when it is translated properly things begin to clear up considerably. Archangel is a transliteration from the Greek archaggelos, which is a transliteration of the word. Transliterations are words taken from an original language and changed in spelling to make them appear like words of the another language. The pronunciation of a transliterated word usually retains a similar sound. In reality, it is a made up word that has no real meaning until someone decides to give it a definition which may or may not be accurate to the original word. Baptism is a transliterated word which in its original Greek form is baptisma, or baptize is from baptizo. The actual word means, "to make whelmed." It neither means to submerse in nor to sprinkle with water. Archangel from the Greek is a combination of two words: archo which means first or chief and aggelos which simply means messenger. Now, one more time, WHO is MICHAEL, THE ARCHANGEL? Or to ask it in proper translated form. WHO is THE ONE LIKE GOD THAT IS THE CHIEF MESSENGER? Can there be any other answer than THE LORD JESUS CHRIST? We think not but have no contention with those who may disagree. (More concerning this in "War in Heaven": https://www.godfire.net/war.html)
There is much talk about Lucifer and fallen angels. Most of which has erroneously been taken from what they read or have been told about the "war in heaven" of Revelation 12 as well as what Jude said about the angels that left their first estate." What, then, are the angles that lost their first estate that are commonly thought as being "fallen angles?" Many believe it had to do with the devil and his angels losing the war in heaven prior to the dawn of ages. Let us borrow an excerpt from Elwin’s article: The Apocalypse, Part 11, Lucifer And Fallen Angels, #213.09:
Fallen Angels
It is a common belief of Christendom that a beautiful archangel persuaded one third of the other angels to revolt against God and the remaining host of heaven. Having been defeated and cast to Earth, they are viewed as fallen angels, and Lucifer is thereafter renamed, Satan. The belief has it that these defeated, fallen angels lost their war before the age of man. A primary reason for embracing this is what they misread in Revelation 12:7-9 about the war in heaven between Michael and his angels and the dragon with his angels, even though Revelation 1:1 makes it clear that this is not a war in heaven in the past, but would be one that would be taking place in the future; that is, sometime after John received the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ. Thus, orthodox religion's foundation of sand is being washed away by the sound waves of truth. But what about the angels who left their first estate? Do we think that the verse in Jude is a bit more stable? Brace yourselves for another word that will wash away some more doctrinal errors.
"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day." Jude 1:6. Allow me, please, to present one more short lesson from the original language. Both Greek words for kept and left are in the aorist active participle as in the imperative sense. For instance, the imperative aorist expresses action in the simplest form. It is undefined and does not distinguish between complete or incomplete action. The perfect tense in the Greek, which we do not have with these words, speaks of an action that has been completed. Both of these words are in the aorist active imperative. A good example of this is found in John 17:11: "Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me." The only way this word, keep, could be used in the perfect tense, kept, would be if someone was speaking or writing about this event after the death of the apostles. They would then say, "The Holy Father kept through His name those whom He had given to Jesus."
With this, we can readily see the difference between perfect past and the imperative, which is the case with Jude1:6 and John 17:11.
Since these two verbs are not in the perfect past, it is clear as to why the Concordant Literal translates them as keep and leave, rather than kept and left. This, therefore, indicates that those being held in darkness with unbreakable chains are the ones who were at that time, when Jude wrote his letter, not keeping, remaining in, staying in the place of their first estate, their initial habitation, their ministry sitting in the throne with Jesus that they once had. They did not continue ministering the gospel of life in the Spirit as they fell from grace and went back to ministering the law, the letter that kills. These ministers, angels, messengers (aggelos), were the ones in the days of the early church who were leaving and going on tangents from where they first began. Moreover, they fell into and submitted to the same temptations of which Sodom and Gomorrah had lusted. Verse 7 speaks of this; and remember as you read that heavenly angels from on high, unlike men, are not tempted with fleshy lusts. And angels of heaven neither marry nor are given in marriage. Therefore, we believe Jude is referring to men who are the earthly messengers/ministers rather than spirit-being angels, and because of their perverted desires they were at that time of the early church held in darkness. They were held, even as we see with some today, in their strong delusions to believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). And this is until the day of judgment when they will find themselves in the midst of the lake among the flames of refining theion/godfire that works godly sorrow unto repentance.
Sodom and Gomorrah were used as examples concerning these messengers who had left their first estate at the same time when Jude penned those words of warning. The illustration of Sodom and Gomorrah giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh portrayed why the same vengeance of age-abiding judgment awaits those who were leaving the place where in they had started. They were ungodly men that had turned the grace of our God into lasciviousness, which in doing so, denied to themselves the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. They became false teachers at that time, not angelic beings before there was any flesh on earth to lust after. These angels were also compared to the people who were saved out of the land of Egypt, and afterwards they were destroyed for not believing (vrs. 5). These messengers who wandered from the faith were spiritually asleep. They were dreamers of grandeur who defiled the flesh, despising dominions, and spoke evil of dignitaries (vrs 8). (The Greek for dignitaries is doxa, meaning: glory, or that which is apparent.)
Jude told those about the common salvation, and that even Michael the Archangel, the Chief Messenger, did not bring a railing accusation against the devil when there was a dispute over the Body of Moses; that is, the nation of Israel. How brazen those were who did not remain in the strait way and narrow path of the Man they proclaimed to be their Savior. They spoke evil of His manifested glory in others. They degraded that which was so apparent. They belittled it, made fun of it, and we see the same today. It is not unusual for people to call it the devil or the flesh of human emotions when the glory of God fills a person or a congregation, and it is so apparent to anyone who has an eye to see or an ear to hear that the prophecies, healings, and the high praises of worship are all the very essence of the Spirit of God. Some today leave their first estate and also speak evil of these things.
Again, the angels of which Jude referred spoke evil of God's manifested glory in others. They degraded that which was so apparent. They belittled it, and made fun of it. That was the lot for those of that day.
Being blinded by their own glory they left their first estate. They polluted the assemblies, the holy feasts of Christ's when they attended and remained in their midst and fed alongside the ones called to those high places.
They that Jude made reference to were like clouds of great congregations. From their pulpits they may have thundered exalted words of promises and wonderful things to come; yet their words were lifeless, with no power, there is no water in those clouds. The essence of Christ was not there. They were carried about by winds of dogma. Some were, no doubt, seen as huge, fruit-laden trees, and they were doing a lot of things, works without measure; but there was no life in that humanoid fruit, so it withered away. They were trees that bore no fruit which were worthy for nothing except to be cut down or plucked up by roots. They were twice dead.
Not only that, the angels of the first century A.D., came as raging waves of power. Today they are before TV cameras, thousands of bodies fall in rapid succession as if a literal ocean wave is sweeping over them, but only to find shame awaiting the exalted ones at the end of their day. The "man of God" for the hour, the one so many believed would change the world and set the stage for Christ's return is exposed, caught in adultery, homosexuality, embezzlement, et al. His foam of shame goes streaming through the airwaves, highways, byways, and subways. Again, there is no stability in them. They roam the heavens as wandering stars. Reserved in their souls is the blackness of gross darkness, and they will be chained in that lifeless void unto the end of the age. They will be bound by their own darkened delusions until the Lord comes in myriads of the saints of Himself to execute remedial judgment upon them, and all others, yet in everyone's own order. This flaming judgment will convict, convince, and correct all who are ungodly. All their ungodly deeds will be consumed in that fiery lake, and the hardness of the ungodly sinners that have spoken ignorantly or intentionally against Him will find their part in the lake of fire that burns with brimstone, that is, godfire. (Jude 1:3-15). And may we ask, from whom did that judgment of those angels/messengers of Jude’s day come? Also, from whom does it come today and will come from in the age to come? Let us be reminded: "Know ye not that we shall judge angels...?" 1 Corinthians 6:3.
We have two accounts of when angels were and will be judged. Those of which Jude referred were in his time frame, and Paul spoke of those of another time. And let us consider concerning judgment. As it is with natural judicial judgment of any nation, if a man commits a crime today and if found guilty, and another man commits the same crime in the same city a week latter, is there a different judicial process? Unless there is a motion to remove one judge in favor of another, there’s no difference. The one judge oversees both cases. Therefore, what we see in we shall judge angels and the angels judged in Jude’s account who were bound in unbreakable chains are by the same judge, i.e. the saints of God! Different day, but same kingdom, same offense, same sentence by the same judge, which is you and me. Therefore, as it will be with us, Jude and the other saints of God at that time pronounced the judgment of unbreakable chains upon the angels that left their first estate of his day.
Do you know who God’s judges are? They are you and me. We are His body. We are His hands and feet. We are His voice. We are his judge, and when we, by the Spirit, pronounce our judicial sentence, it is a mandate to be carried out to the ninth degree. No one can circumvent it. We saw this when the men and women of God pronounced judgment from the heavens upon the Soviet Union in the latter part of 1989 that brought down that giant kingdom. Simple words, yet from on high, destroyed mighty men’s kingdom. I was there and know what took place.
Notwithstanding, some find fault when we even mention such things as this; but if you will, first find fault and speak evil against the apostle, a man of dominion, the dignitary called Jude; for he was the first to pen those words, I have only paraphrased his warnings and indictments. Selah! Pause! Think!
In summary, we have given many scriptures which clearly bring to light that angels are men and vice versa. It is our belief from thorough study, that angels are almost always men. However, they can be anything God chooses for delivering His messages, such as, on one occasion it was an ass that He sent that rebuked Balaam. We might not normally think of a braying donkey as an angel, but in this case it was. Frankly, we have known a few of these braying messengers that were uncouth, brash, offensive, even repulsive; but they at times were given messages that no one else would care to deliver. For who would want to give a word to any of God’s anointed ministers when correction is in order? We certainly wouldn’t, so jackasses are called upon at times who seem to find delight in doing so, and wise men and women who are truly called of God will receive their messages, even though they might not be welcomed words when coming from such base vessels. But praise God, such messengers are not so common as those regal ones which we are compassed about with, the ones that we read about in the letter to the Hebrews:
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." And "...Ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Hebrews 12:1, 22-24.
Can we not see that all these mentioned entities of which we are in company with speak and revolve around God and His elect? We are in the midst of, a part of His body, His great cloud of witnesses. We are a part of His kingdom, Mount Sion, the city of the living God, which is a people, His people that is called the heavenly Jerusalem. It is not a city of bricks and stones, but is a spiritual city of people, even a countless number of saints with a message, that is angels on this side of the veil and the other, who are of Jesus Christ, the first born. They are the general assembly who have been called out of the world and unto Himself whose names are written in the book of life. We are a part of and compassed about with the saints, special agents, messengers, angels; that is, the spirits of just men made perfect on this side and the other. We are His house, members in particular with all these honorable messengers of reconciliation from on high who will revolutionize creation.
These scriptures, along with all the others that we have shared, speaks clearly that men and women are God’s holy angels, and those who study the Bible, and especially see by the Spirit that which he or she reads, will agree. Moreover, when God sends His messengers, His angels, with a word, they go forth with the unfettered power and authority of His throne. Whether it is a braying donkey, men or women on this side of the veil, or just ones made perfect from the other side—the word and/or deed with which they are sent will not return void. Whatever is their assignment, they will accomplish it. For instance, a dear friend and co-laborer in Christ, had an experience with angels/men that were clearly from the other side. Let me, Elwin, share what was related again to me just recently:
Angels on Assignment
"At an ingathering we had, I was at the pew on the platform when a hand threw me to the floor, face-first, and I felt that hand pressing on the back of my head with my face right on the carpet. My nose was mashed into the carpet. I then saw in the spirit angels, ministers of just men, whatever they are, coming in like a unified, military unit of men on a directive, a mission. They were walking briskly up and down the aisle and anointing the people with what I assumed was oil. They were throwing the oil on the people's heads. I ask the Lord, 'What are they doing?' He said that He was sanctifying the people for the Feast of Tabernacles that would be coming in due season in His body and upon the earth.
"He then told me not to raise my head, that I would be in danger of my own life if I did. It was not a giddy, happy thing at all. It was fearful, and so serious. I was fearing in my heart for the others. No one knew what was going on with me other than me laying on the floor. And when there is a silence in a meeting, that is when someone will often get up and do something. They take that as an opportunity to declare a word, or whatever. I was praying that someone would not try to raise up at that moment and say something or do something, which would have been out of order, because I feared for them, I really did, and thankfully nothing like that happened. Everyone was quiet. They stood or sat in their seats while all of this was taking place in such a solemn occasion, very serious and with great purpose in it.
"After a time, the angels/just men made perfect suddenly left in the same way they came in, the hand was take from my head. I didn't have enough strength to stand, so I scooted back and sat on the floor with my arm upon the pew, and I tried to open my eyes. My neck was bowed, physically bowed so that I could not raise my head up from my chest. It was like my head was not allowed to go into an erect position. So I looked with my eyes to see what the people were doing. And you know we have that solid wood pulpit, and I looked right through that pulpit, like it was glass. It scared me to pieces. I saw everyone on the other side of it, and saw them as if it was clears as glass. I shut my eyes and I said, 'Oh, Lord!' Then I looked toward the piano, and I saw right through the piano. I said, 'Lord what is this?' He said, 'Spirit eyes.'
"I couldn't say anything. I couldn't do anything. And my wife finally got up and explained to everyone that something was going on in the Spirit. With that, she closed the service; for it was at the end of the service anyway.
"Someone had to drive me home; for my head was still on my chest, I was afraid to open my eyes; for I did not know what was going on. I didn't know if there would be a consequence or what. It left a couple of hours after we got home. Everything returned to normal. It was out of this world. I had never experienced anything like it. But I know they were sent there for a purpose; namely, to anoint and sanctify the people unto the Day of the Lord that we are in, and at that time there was a great sanctification unto God, that He was going to have a hands on dealing with these people along with the other members of the body of Christ. I knew it was an anointing ceremony going on throughout His body, and most do not know it.
"I knew it was not for me to explain to everyone what was happening. He allowed for me to witness it, and what stays with me is that I feared for my life in the midst of that holy presence. I knew that if flesh rose up in the middle of that, the person could die. That was the awareness that I had, that their life could be taken from them." --End quote.
You see, those on assignment from God to speak His word or to do His bidding are awesome, so much so, that they will have dominion over His entire creation: "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels (elohim - gods), and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet..." Psalms 8:5-8.
A small example of angels having dominion was seen at that conference. They had absolute, total dominion over every soul in attendance, and such dominion will spread throughout His body, into the world, and far beyond!
Hopefully our friend, Chuck Weller, and I have helped some to see more clearly into the Mystery of the Angels; namely, that they are special entities sent from Him to convey or perform His divine service, and these special entities are for the most part people like us. They are divinely appointed from both sides of the veil to do His bidding. And if there are other angels, such as special, spirit created beings that have never been born of man, that is wonderful as well. Notwithstanding, our focus today is the elect on this side of the veil and those who have passed on before us, as being the angels we read about in the scriptures.
With all this having been said, let us now make ourselves ready to entertain angels unawares, or even be ready to be sent as angels ourselves to those for whom God has special messages that will awaken them to whatever they are called to be or do. Isn’t this good to know? We think so...
To be continued...
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